CALL THE HANDS Issue No.36 November 2019 From the President Welcome to this edition of Call the Hands and two accompanying occasional papers. I trust you find them of interest. In the October edition of Call the Hands we highlighted the 75th Anniversary of the battles of Leyte Gulf which occurred between 20 and 25 October. The series of sea battles in and around Leyte Gulf in October 1944 marked a turning point in the Pacific war. Is was a decisive battle in which the entire and still powerful Japanese Navy was committed. The Japanese force was attempting to destroy the vast American fleet of vessels supporting the strategically critical amphibious landings on Leyte. Given the significance of these operations to Australia and the historic role played by participating Royal Australian Naval ships, this edition of Call the Hands continues coverage of the battles and provides numerous additional reading references. It is important that more Australians understand the significance of these battles. Occasional Paper 66 by David Scott, a junior sailor in HMAS Arunta was first published by the Society in September 2016. It is a gripping account of HMAS Arunta’s role in the Battles of Leyte Gulf. It combines personal observations and experiences with a more strategic perspective of the multiple actions fought in late October 1944. The paper also provides a strong sense of the arduous, uncomfortable and stressful conditions experienced by the ships company who spent extraordinary periods of time closed up at action stations. Other papers, listed as recommended reading include accounts by Vice Admiral Sir John Collins and Rear Admiral Guy Griffiths. At the time Commodore Collins was serving as Commodore Commanding the Australian Naval Squadron, with HMAS Australia as his flagship. Occasional Paper 67 provides and overview of the naval presence in Tasmania from Colonial Days to the present. It describes the acquisition of a torpedo boat for the colony, government deliberation over the need and role of shore support and training facilities in Tasmania and the persistent effect of defence funding on communities. The 1969 and 2019 DDG missile firing videos referenced on page 5 are of interest in that significant technology changes are highlighted whilst the capability requirement and attitudes remain unchanged. As always, Society volunteers are grateful for feedback from members and subscribers. We particularly appreciate observations and stories on unpublished topics and matters of a more contemporary nature. If there is an issue you are happy to share, we look forward to hearing from you. David Michael Support the Society Although Call the Hands is a free service to the community, produced by volunteers, there are costs. Our objective is simply to promote understanding of Australian naval history. Voluntary contributions are essential to deliver this service to readers. If you value our work please consider a donation. https://www.navyhistory.org.au/donate/ Naval Historical Society Garden Island Defence Precinct The Naval Historical Society Building 25 Locked Bag 7005 of Australia Liverpool NSW 1871 ABN 71 094 118 434 E-Mail [email protected] Patron: Chief of Navy www.navyhistory.org.au In this Edition Page 1 From the President 2 Battles of Leyte Gulf and Surigao Strait: October 1944: RAN Involvement 3 Battles of Leyte Gulf and Surigao Strait: 75th Anniversary Commemorated 4 Video: The Surigao Strait 4 HMAS Australia (2) under the Command of Captain E.F.V. Dechaineux RAN 5 Aircraft Direction in HMAS Australia II: World War II Interview with Ian Wrigley 5 DDG Missile Firings: 1969 and 2019 6 Photo of the Month 7 News in Brief 8 This Month in History 9 Readers Forum 11 Occasional papers 12 Society Matters Battles of Leyte Gulf and Surigao Strait: October 1944: RAN Involvement The Battle of Leyte Gulf is an extremely important part of Australian history. Unfortunately, few Australians know much about Leyte Gulf, which has been described by the British historian, Donald Macintyre, as the biggest sea fight in history. As Sir John Collins observed “The battle concerns Australia closely for it opened the road to victory in the Pacific by reducing the Japanese Navy, which once threatened our shores, to an ineffective remnant. We should know more about this battle and be proud that the Royal Australian Navy took a small but active part in the victory”. For the Leyte operation a huge force of between 550 and 600 ships assembled consisting of: Battleships, cruisers, escort carriers, destroyers, destroyer escorts, attack transports, cargo ships, landing craft, survey vessels, mine craft and supply ships. 13 RAN ships were part of this force and consisted of: TF74 Australia, Shropshire, Arunta, Warramunga Supply ships Bishopdale, Poyang, Yunnan and Merkur Landing Ships Manoora, Westralia, Kanimbla Gascoyne and HDML 1074 were part of the minesweeping and hydrographic group. The whole operation over a number of days was subject to heavy air attack, with Australia hit by the first aircraft at 0605 on 21 October. The strike on the bridge area killed Captain Dechaineux and Commander Rayment; Commodore Collins was wounded. In all 30 were killed or died of wounds. Landings and support operations continued and so did the air attacks, resulting in a number of ships damaged and sunk with significant casualties. From a report on 24 October of a Japanese force likely to approach through Surigao Strait, the whole support group assembled in the southern part of Leyte Gulf in a formation to cross the `T’ of an enemy force entering through the Strait. Shropshire and Arunta were part of the force which consisted of 6 battleships, 8 cruisers, 20 destroyers and squadrons of PT boats. At 0323 Arunta and her squadron carried out a bold torpedo attack on the Japanese battleship Yamashiro and was told to move away quickly before the main force opened fire at 0350. Shropshire opened fire at 0356 for about 12 minutes, despatching 214 – 8″ shells at the Yamashiro. The full story of the Battle for Leyte Gulf does not end in that last great surface battle in the Surigao Strait. The many other phases are worthy of study. Sufficient to say the whole event was a decisive victory for the allies. 2 Further Reading The Role of the RAN in the Liberation of the Philippines, address by RADM Guy Griffiths, AO, DSO, DSC, RAN Retd at the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne (Oct 2000), published by NHSA March 30, available at: https://www.navyhistory.org.au/the-role-of-the-ran-in-the-liberation-of-the-philippines/ Leyte Gulf – Biggest Sea Fight in History, by Vice Admiral Sir John Collins, published by NHSA March 30, available at: https://www.navyhistory.org.au/leyte-gulf-biggest-sea-fight-in-history/ The Royal Australian Navy at Leyte Gulf October 1944, Kingsley Perry, published by NHSA September 2014, available at: https://www.navyhistory.org.au/the-royal-australian-navy-at-leyte-gulf-october-1944/ Leyte: HMAS Shropshire and HMAS Arunta in the Battle of Surigao Strait, published by NHSA, March 1988, available at: https://www.navyhistory.org.au/tag/leyte/page/4/ HMAS Stuart at Leyte Gulf 75th anniversary, Navy Daily, 26 October 2019, available at: http://news.navy.gov.au/en/Oct2019/Events/5527/Warm-welcome-for-HMAS-Stuart-at-Leyte-Gulf-75th- anniversary.htm#.XbPyCW5uKUk Battle of Leyte Gulf (1944), Jozef Straczek, published by Sea Power Centre Australia, 26 October 2019, available at: http://www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/battle-leyte-gulf-1944 Battles of Leyte Gulf and Surigao Strait: 75th Anniversary Commemorated Between 20 and 25 October 2019 a significant number of RAN ships participated in commemorative events in the Philippines to commemorate battles in Leyte Gulf and Surigao Strait. Four ships; HMA Ships Stuart, Sirius, Melville and Arrarat were involved. HMAS Stuart participated in both commemorations in Leyte on 20 October and Surigao on 25 October. HMA Ships Sirius, Melville and Arrarat participated in the commemoration of the Battle of Surigao Strait on 25 October. Veterans of HMAS Shropshire, Rear Admiral Guy Griffiths AO, DSO, DSC, RAN (Ret) and Mr David Mattiske also attended L-R: Commanding Officer HMAS Stuart, events in Surigao City along with Leonard Roy McLeod. Commander Luke Ryan, RAN talks with Rear Admiral Guy Griffiths, RAN (Rtd), former Able Planning for the liberation of the Philippines which commenced Seaman David Mattiske and Deputy President of the Southport RSL Sub Branch, Ken Orr, at in early in 1943 included landings in Leyte Gulf and then at the 75th anniversary of the Leyte Landing. Luzon in late 1944 and early 1945. By March 1944 the RAN Image Japanese were aware of the probability of attacks and landings at Leyte Gulf in late October and were planning their defence. Japan could not afford to lose the Philippines and be isolated from vital resources to the south. Consequently, the battle for Leyte Gulf became the greatest and most decisive battle of the war to which the Japanese committed their entire and still vast navy. The United States Navy’s commitment to this operation was enormous. HMAS Shropshire, 4 inch gun crew. RAN image 3 Video of Interest: The Surigao Strait This video which focuses on the United States Navy provides good detail about the Battle of Surigao Strait. It is Part 10 of a series on the Battle of Leyte Gulf and is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9ZNbdsb2dk Duration: 10 minutes. HMAS Australia (2) under the Command of Captain E.F.V. Dechaineux RAN On 9 March 1944 Captain Dechaineux took command of the flagship of Task Force 74, the heavy cruiser, HMAS Australia. In adapting to the much larger vessel, he realised the need to rely on the expertise of specialist officers; he appreciated the merit of his staff, and endorsed proposals to improve the equipment and armament of the ship through unofficial American channels.